Effect of virtual exercise program on depression level and family’s perception during COVID-19 pandemic in child cancer survivor: a case report

Abstract

This study aimed to investigated the effect of a virtual exercise program on depression level during the COVID-19 pandemic in a patient who survived childhood cancer. An 8-year-old boy who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) about 4 years ago and survived after the treatment underwent a virtual aerobic exercise program tailered to face-to-face evaluations covering the lower and upper extremities and trunk under 5-week supervision. At the end of 5 weeks, his depression level did not decrease according to the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), but the family was asked verbal questions about the effectiveness of this program. The family reported that despite the quarantine period during the COVID-19 pandemic, this exercise program increased the activity level of their children and that the program had positive effects on their children's emotional state. For future studies, inventories containing more detailed questions that measure parameters such as pain and depression level after aerobic exercises applied in surviving children are needed.

Keywords

• Leukemia
• Child
• Exercise
• Depression
• COVID-19

Kanserden sağ kalan çocukta COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında sanal egzersiz programının depresyon düzeyine ve ailenin algısına etkisi: olgu sunumu

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, çocukluk çağı kanserinden kurtulan bir hastada COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında sanal egzersiz programının depresyon düzeyine etkisini araştırmak amaçlandı. Yaklaşık 4 yıl önce Akut Lenfoblastik Lösemi (ALL) tanısı konulan ve tedavi sonrası sağ kalan 8 yaşındaki erkek hastaya, yüzyüze yapılan değerlendirme sonuçlarına göre 5 haftalık alt-üst ekstremite ve gövdeyi kapsayan sanal aerobik egzersiz programı uygulandı. 5 haftanın sonunda Çocuklar İçin Depresyon Ölçeği (ÇDÖ)’ne göre depresyon düzeyinde azalma olmadı ancak aileye bu programın etkililiği hakkında sözlü sorular soruldu. Aile, COVID-19 pandemisi sürecindeki karantina dönemine rağmen bu egzersiz programının çocuklarının aktivite düzeyini artırdığını ve programın çocuklarının duygusal durumlarına olumlu etkileri olduğunu bildirdi. Gelecekteki çalışmalar için, sağ kalan çocuklarda uygulanan aerobik egzersizler sonrası ağrı ve depresyon düzeyi gibi parametreleri ölçen daha ayrıntılı sorular içeren parametrelere ihtiyaç vardır.

Keywords

• Lösemi
• Çocuk
• Egzersiz
• Depresyon

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